Sinatra

The Chairman

De: James Kaplan

Narrado por: Donald Corren

Just in time for the Chairman's centennial, the endlessly absorbing sequel to James Kaplan's best-selling Frank: The Voice - finally the definitive biography that Frank Sinatra, justly termed "The Entertainer of the Century", deserves and requires. Like Peter Guralnick on Elvis, Kaplan goes behind the legend to give us the man in full, in his many guises and aspects: peerless singer, (sometimes) powerful actor, business mogul, tireless lover, and associate of the powerful and infamous.

In 2010's Frank: The Voice, James Kaplan, in rich, distinctive, compulsively understandable prose, told the story of Frank Sinatra's meteroic rise to fame, subsequent failures, and reinvention as a star of the stage and screen. The story of "Ol' Blue Eyes" continues with Sinatra: The Chairman, picking up the day after Frank claimed his Academy Award in 1954 and had reestablished himself as the top recording artist in music. Frank's life post-Oscar was incredibly dense: In between recording albums and singles, he often shot four or five movies a year; did TV show and nightclub appearances; started his own label, Reprise; and juggled his considerable commercial ventures (movie production, the restaurant business, even prizefighter management) alongside his famous and sometimes notorious social activities and commitments.

©2015 James Kaplan (P)2015 Recorded Books

Book well read by the Narrator

Story line kind of why and how things happened in American history during the,50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. While Blue Eyes lived his life. The book clarified many different historical events.

Outstanding!

I have never listened to a 40-hour book before and probably never again, but I would certainly read Sinatra, at least, once again if not twice more. Kaplin not only dug into the life of Sinatra but made mini digs, that is, some background information about everyone who interacted with Sinatra. Readers got to learn many naughty things about these characters that were in and out of Sinatra's life. And I believe that's what made this bio so darn interesting. Instead of dragging through the 40 hours, I flew through and was sorry when it ended. Corren did a great job bringing the book to life. I really recommend this book, mostly because of the author.

Good details on Sinatra and his music

I appreciated the detailed knowledge of Sinatra’s music career especially the composers and all involved with the songs. I also loved understanding Frank was special in his knowledge and natural abilities with music having not really been ever formally trained. It’s very impressive. I also have a clearer understanding of why he is the legend and there will be no one else like him. My disappointment with this book is that the author seemed to never give Frank a break for his charitable contributions. While Frank was no saint and undoubtedly ran with the mob and was involved way more than will probably ever know there was a soft side to Frank, not just with his family, but the best way he knew how to be kind and compassionate towards people. The authors seem to think there was always a sinister motive behind his acts of kindness, and not giving him simply any benefit that he did things just because he really did have a big heart.

What a Polarizing Entertainer and Character

After listening to Frank by James Kaplan I couldn't wait to dig into the conclusion of Frank's biography Sinatra. I have to admit I was a little put off that the narrator was changed, but after about five minutes I realized that Donald Corren's narration was superior and I thought was actually easier to listen to than was Rob Shapiro in Frank. The book was long but after finishing I thought the book was not nearly long enough. I think I enjoyed the second part of Frank's biography more just for the simple fact that the secondary characters were actually people that I'd heard of or actually remembered. When I finished the biography I was so moved I actually just sat in silence for a couple of minutes reflecting on what I'd just heard. Wow what a story!

Brilliantly written, poorly narrated

The book is brilliantly written by a thorough and passionate, yet honest biographer. It's evident from the language used that there's a very deep love for the work of Sinatra, yet there's no effort sweep the sins of the star under the rug and pretend he was a saint either. This made the book enjoyable and credible. My only negative criticisms are the narrator of this book isn't very good. The narrator of the first volume of this book sounded almost like it was being read directly from the mind of Sinatra. The narrator of this book sounds like a cynical, at times bored bystander who always has his nose up at Frank, wagging his finger in disapproval. This takes you as a listener out of the story and filters it through a layer of what sounds like a disapproving gossip columnist from the old days. This narrator, Donald Corren, was not at all a good choice for Sinatra's story. One wonders why in the world he was chosen over his predecessor, who had done an incredible job of conveying Sinatra's life, loves and losses in a very passionate and immersive way. My only other criticism of the book is that the author essentially leap frogs over the latter quarter century of Sinatra's life. As a listener, you spend nearly 80 combined hours listening to the two volumes of Frank's life being thoroughly dissected in very detailed story telling that made his life feel very real, not just a prolific career. Then at the point of his short lived retirement, the last 25 years of his life is suddenly crammed, condensed, and minimized into two, hurried hours of listening. Yes, those 25 years may not have been nearly as climactic or turbulent as the first half a century, but there was plenty that would have been interesting to delve into. (The formation of his latter day albums, his involvement in the Reagan campaign, more about the battle between Barbara Marx and the Sinatra children, etc). But the author decided to very briefly skim passed all of this and rush to the end (albeit, a beautifully described ending). The latter 25 years of Frank's life wouldn't likely sell well enough to make it worth the authors time to have written a third volume of Sinatra biography, but as a Sinatra fan I was left dangling and feeling disappointed by the abrupt race to the finish. There was much left unchronicled. Otherwise, it's a terrific book. One of the greatest biographies I've ever listened to/read and I thank the author sincerely from taking the time and trouble to go to such great lengths to bring us this wonderful profile of the biggest and greatest star of the 20th century.